The relationship between immigrant and second-generation churches has—to put it lightly— been complex. Language and cultural barriers make things lead to misunderstandings and disagreements. Many churches have stories of conflicts over vision, worship times, and lack of parking. But it is possible for first and second-generation churches to worship together.
We are proud to present an interview that Steve Chang, SOLA Council chairman, conducted with Pastor Paul Kim and Pastor John Cha of Open Door Presbyterian Church in Herndon, Virginia. They talk about how the leaders of both congregations interact regularly, their mission as a church, and plans for the future of the church. Video and transcript are on our website.
In case you missed it, Hannah Chao and I released a podcast episode to take you behind-the-scenes of the new edition of our SOLA Network Magazine! Find the video and transcript on our website. This newsletter is one of the many ways you can keep in touch with us. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. For more, check out my Asian American Worship Leaders Facebook group and TGIF Playlist on Spotify. You can reach me on Twitter and Instagram.
Giveaway: The Good Book Company Family Bundle
Enter to win these excellent books! Read my reviews in the Related Works section below. Thanks to The Good Book Company for providing these books for our giveaway, in partnership with my newsletters for @diveindigdeep and FCBC Walnut.
Articles From Around The Web
1. EF Gregory: How I Prayed for Monterey Park
“I live just outside the border of Monterey Park, within walking distance of a dance studio where, last weekend, a 72-year-old gunman shot and killed 11 people and wounded nine others. Usually, when I sit down to write a monthly “how I prayed” piece, China is the forefront of my mind. But this week, it is hard to tear my thoughts away from my own community, which is in shock after the tragic shooting.”
2. Sam Koo: Three Reasons Why You Should Encourage Your Congregation to Gather Every Week
“We don’t gather with the church to make ourselves precious to God. We gather because—as we’re reminded of the good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection, as we’re encouraged by the family for whom he died—God becomes more precious to us.”
3. Bobby Scott: Prayerlessness Comes Before a Fall
“The strongest man in the Bible and its greatest and wisest kings scandalously fell because of their pride.”
Check out the new edition of our SOLA Network Magazine! Download it for free and share it with your friends as a great way to be introduced to the work we do at SOLA Network.
Books, Podcasts, Music, And More
1. Hannah Nation: It Challenges My American Expectations: An Interview on Faithful Disobedience
“I don’t come from a prosperity gospel background; I come from the Reformed tradition, which loves to talk about the sin and brokenness of this world. But the way these Chinese guys are talking about it is a fresh take from what I ever received. It challenges my American assumptions and expectations for life.”
2. Sam Chan: The Most Powerful Factor in Determining Belief
Collin Hansen and Sam Chan discuss the most powerful factor in determining belief, why we need to merge our universes and put ourselves in others’ debt, the secret hidden sauce of evangelism, and why we need to study counselors more than preachers.
3. Aaron Lee: Related Works
Book Reviews: Come, Lord Jesus by John Piper, Welcome by Jen Oshman, Gather by Tony Merida, Belong by Barnabas Piper. Listen to our TGIF playlist on Spotify. Join my Asian American Worship Leaders Facebook group.
Subscribe to our podcast for our interviews, messages, and article reads! Available for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.
Featured This Week On SOLA Network
1. David Chong: A Warning to the Instigator
“Are we like Christ, building one another up? Or causing drama for our own amusement?”
2. Steve S. Chang: How Immigrant and Second-Generation Churches Can Coexist
At SOLA Network, we want to highlight the stories that show us new ways to approach old problems. We want to encourage churches and leaders to think differently about “the way things are” and find ways to pursue the kingdom of God together.
3. Aaron Lee: A Powerful Vision for Ministry: A Book Review of “Spurgeon the Pastor”
“How did the Prince of Preachers serve as a pastor? In Spurgeon the Pastor, Geoffrey Chang helps recover a biblical and theological vision for ministry.”
4. Andrew Lee: It’s Not You, It’s Them! Letters To a Young Pastor at a Multilingual Church
“Be faithful to your call and go about your ministry doing the best you can, both with those who will support you and those who are less enthusiastic.”
5. TGIF: Roundup for January 27, 2023
After Shooting, California Churches’ Lunar New Year Celebrations Turned Solemn / The Speck You See in Their Eye Might Be the Exact Log in Yours / I Did Not Sign-Up for This: The Fourth P of Pastoral Ministry / Our Little Loves and the Loves of Our Littles / Learn to Suffer from the Chinese Church / Keller’s Formation: John Piper on C. S. Lewis and Jonathan Edwards
6. SOLA Network: TGIF Subscription
Get our TGIF installments delivered straight to your inbox for free every Friday. Subscribe today so you never miss out.
General disclaimer: Our link roundups are not endorsements of the positions or lives of the authors.